Val’s Book Reviews Fleeing the 51st State: A Voyage of Resistance and Hope by Peter Freeman Vancouver: Tablet Publications, 2025$35.00 / 9781069460813 Canada’s worst nightmare has happened. The country has been invaded from the south and is now occupied by the enemy. That’s the fascinating premise of Salt Spring island author Peter Freeman’s latest novel Fleeing […]
I think we’re hooped Read More »
The Fourth of July When we think of July 4th, we usually connect it with one thing— the Declaration of Independence in 1776 when the United States gained independence from Britain. With a little bit of digging and research, I managed to unearth a considerable number of other auspicious events that also took place on
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Val’s Book Reviews The Worm Lady’s Daughter by Peter Freeman Salt Spring Island: Ensilwood Publishing, 2025 $19.95 / 9781990415166 Salt Spring Island author Peter Freeman has created a story rich in descriptive prose and strong emotion with his novel The Worm Lady’s Daughter. It is set in the 1960s on the windswept dunes of Noosa
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Fathers Through History We have celebrated Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June since 1934. Prior to that it was celebrated at different times and on different dates. This year Father’s Day falls on Sunday, June 15th. Some people believe the tradition originated in Spokane, Washington, around 1910, at the instigation of a Mrs.
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Val’s Book Reviews Trees of Victoria: A Wanderer’s Guide by Collin Varner Victoria: Heritage House, 2025 $26.95 / 9781772035339 Although Victoria, British Columbia, is always thought of as the “city of gardens,” author Collin Varner believes it should also be known as the “city of trees.” After having read his delightful guide to more than
Ambling appreciation of the arborist Read More »
The Story of Four Sisters of St. Ann’s On Saturday, June 5th, 1858, the SS Seabird arrived in Victoria harbor with a very special cargo aboard. Among the passengers were four Sisters of St. Ann who had travelled to Fort Victoria from Montreal at the request of Bishop Modeste Demers. The bishop, the first Catholic
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An Unforgettable Mother Motherhood! The dictionary defines it as being “the state of being a mother or having the spirit or qualities of a mother.” So, what is a mother? Again, according to the dictionary, a mother is a creature who “creates, nurtures and protects.” This Sunday we will once again celebrate Mother’s Day. We
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Val’s Book Reviews Fake Out: A Long Beach Mystery by Faye Bayko Victoria: Tellwell Publishing, 2025$26.99 / 9781779624789 Faye Bayko’s debut novel Fake Out plunges her readers into the world of hippies, drugs, and a place where young people are deeply committed to the slogan “Make love, not war.” She sets her story in May
Draft dodgers, flower children, murder Read More »
Val’s Book Reviews 300 Mason Jars: Preserving History by Joanne Thomson Victoria: Heritage House, 2024 $34.95 / 9781772935162 Author, artist, and poet Joanne Thomson, has found a delightfully different way of preserving her family history in her book 300 Mason Jars. In six separate sections Thomson has created her family’s story in prose, poetry, and
Containing and releasing family history Read More »
Val’s Book Reviews Scrappy Jack: 100 Years of Hardship, Laughter, and Recycling by Joan Steacy Vancouver: Midtown Press, 2023 $24.95 / 9781988242521 Scrappy Jack by Joan Steacy is a delightful mix of memoir and illustrations aimed at both adult and juvenile readers. It is the story of the author’s father Jack who was born in
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